Article of repose for supporting the body of a person



Nov. 22, 1960 A. LOHRENZ 2,961,035

ARTICLE OF REPOSEZ FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Filed May 26, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. ANTON LORENZ ATTORNEY Nov. 22, 1960 A. LORENZ 2,951,035

ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Filed May 26, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 0x20 L DRE/V2 Nov. 22, 1960 A. LORENZ 2,961,035

ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Filed May 26, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. Haifa L 0 RE VZ if/amy United States Ratent ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Anton Lorenz, Ocean Ridge, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Filed May 26, 1954, Ser. No. 432,398

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-106) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending patent applications Serial No. 97,370 filed on June 6, 1949 for A Reclining Article of Furniture, now abandoned and Serial No. 385,985 filed on October 14, 1953 for An Article of Repose for Supporting the Body of -a Person, now Patent No. 2,827,108, granted March 18,1958.

This invention relates to articles of furniture, and more particularly to reclining articles of furniture wherein the seat and the back-rest form movable members of a constrained linkage.

An object of the present invention is to provide a reclining article of furniture which may be readily manufactured at low costs.

Another object of the present invention is to improve on the art of reclining articles of furniture as now ordinarily made.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part'of this specification, wherein: r-Fig. l is a side elevational view of a reclining chair according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of an armchair according to the invention, a portion of a side frame being broken away,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a desk chair according to the invention, j'Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the desk chair shown in Fig. 6, wherein, however, the movable members of the chair are in a reclined position,

' Fig. 7 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the chair shown in Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a reclining desk chair according to the invention.

, Referring now to Figs. 1- and 2, 10 generally indicates a support comprising a pedestal 12 and a supporting member or chair iron 14 rotatably mounted thereon. On each side of the chair the rear ,end portion of a seat 16- is pivoted at 18 to a lug 20 of a back-rest 22. Each lug 20 rigidly connected with the body of the backrest 22 by screws 24 is swingably mounted on the supporting member 14 at 26 at a point spaced from and below the pivotal connection 18 between the seat 16 and the back-rest 22.

On each side of the chair a lug 28 projects downwardly from the front end portion of the seat 16. Each lug 28 is provided with a slot 32 slidably engaged with a pin 30 ,carried by the supporting member 14. The pin 30 andslot 32 constitute guiding means slidably engaged with each other for guiding the seat during movements of the movable members of the chair from the sitting position shown in full lines into a reclined position shown indash' and dot lines in Fig. 1 and vice versa. The guiding surface of said slot 32 is upwardly inclined in backward direction for causing a lifting of the front portion of the seat during a movement of the movable members of the article from the sitting position into the reclined position.

Each lug 20 of the back-rest 22 carries an extension 34 rigidly connected therewith. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the extension 34 is integral with the lug 20. A tension spring 36 stretched between each extension 34 and the supporting member 14 acts as biasing means for yieldingly opposing a reclining movement of the movable members of the chair. Said springs 36 tend to return the movable members of the chair from a reclined position into the sitting position.

The sitting position of the movable members of the chair is limited by an abutment of the pin 30 against the left-hand end of the slot 32; the extreme reclined position of the movable members of the chair is limited by an abutment of the pin 30 against the right-hand end of the slot 32.

On each side of the chair the rear end portion of an arm-rest 38 is pivoted to the back-rest 22 at 40. The front end portion of said arm-rest 38 is pivoted at 42 to the upper end of a link 44, the lower end of which is pivoted to the seat 16 at 46.

According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4,- the support of an arm-chair comprises side frames 148 and 146 connected with each other by the rear wall 151) and transverse bars 152. The side frames 146 and 148 of the support 110 include the arm-rests of the arm-. chair.

The rear end portion of the seat 116 is pivoted to the back-rest 122 at 118. The back-rest 122 is swingably mounted on the support 110 at 126 at a point remote from and below'the pivotal connection 118 between the seat 116 and the back-rest 122. 1 "l A lug 128' projecting from the lower surface of the seat 116 carries -a roller 154 which may roll along fa guiding member 156 secured to the suppo'rt'110.-;The guiding surface of said guiding member 156 engaged with the roller 154 is upwardly inclined in backward direction.

A leg-rest generally indicated by 158 is swingably mounted on the front portion of the seat 116 at 160. The leg-rest 158 comprises a link 162 and a member 164 rigidly connected with each other. The upper end portion of the link 162 extends into a recess 166 of the seat 116. The right-hand end of a controlling link 168' is pivoted to the leg-rest 158 at 170; the left-hand end of the controlling link 168 is pivoted at 172 to an extension or arm 174 rigidly connected with the back-rest 122. v

The sitting position of the movable members of the chair shown in full lines in Fig. 3 is limited by an abutment of the downward extension 174 of the back-rest 122 against a stop .176 secured to the support 110. The extrerne reclined position of the movable members: of the chair shown in dash and dot lines in Fig. 3 is limited by a step 178 arranged for abutment with the other side of the extension 174 of theback-rest 122. Said stop 178 is in slidable engagement with a slot 180 of the side frame 146 of the support 110. As best shown in Fig. 4, said stop 178 may be adjusted in various positions by means of a handle 182 connected to a bevel gear 184 in mesh with a bevel gear 186 arranged on a shaft 188 pro"- vided with a threaded portion engaged with a threaded bore of a member 190 carrying the stop 178. i

The leg-rest 158 and the controlling link 168 connected to the extension 174 of the back-rest act as biasing means for yieldingly opposing a reclining movement of the mov able members of the chair. The load of the leg-restacte ing through the medium of the controlling link 168 on the extension 174 of the back-rest 122 has a tendency to return the movable members of the chair' from there,- clined position shown in dash and dot lines into the sitting position shown in full lines.

lower end of a back-rest 226 is pivoted at 228 to the 7 member 224 of a support 220. The seat 230 pivoted to the back-rest 226 at 232 carries a bracket 264 having an upwardly andba'ckwardly inclinedslot 266' in each of its two side walls 268. On each side of the chair an upwardly and forwardly projecting extension 270 of the supporting member 224 carries a pin 272 slidably engaged with the slot 266 of the side wall 268 of the bracket 264 attached to the seat 230. V

A return spring 244 is stretched between a downward extension 248 of the supporting member 224 and a transverse rod connected with the side walls 268 of the bracket 264' The sitting position of the movable members of the chair shown in Fig. 5' is limited by an engagement of the pin 272 with the upper end of the slot 266. The extreme reclined position of the movable members of the chair shown in Fig. 6 is limited by an engagement of the pin 272 with the lower end of the slot 266.

During a movement of the movable members of the chair from the sitting position of Fig. 5 into the reclined position of Fig. 6, the front end portion of the seat 230 is lifted.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 8 substantially corresponds to the embodiment shown in Figs. 57. However instead of the pin and slot connection shown in Figs. 5-7, the seat 33%) of Fig. 8 carries a roller 376 which moves along an upwardly and backwardly inclined surface 378 of an upward extension 370 of the supporting member 324. The return spring 344 is stretched between the upward extension 370 of the member 324 and the rear portion of the seat 330. The sitting position is limited by an abutment of the roller 376 against a stop 380 arranged on the extension 370; the extreme reclinedposition is limited by an abutment of said roller 376 against another stop 382 arranged on the extension 370.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various omissions or changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

For example each of the embodiments shown in the drawings may be equipped with locking means for holding the movable members of the article in a desired position.

What I' claim is:

1. An improved chair comprising a support, a back-rest disposed in a substantially upright sitting position and pivoted on said support for reclining movement, a seat pivoted adjacent its rearward end at a seat pivot on said back-rest and at a point spaced above the pivot of said back-rest on said support, said seat pivot being in a position to translate through a rearward and downward arc in response to said reclining movement to lower said rear- Ward end of said seat, and slidably interengaged cooperating means on the forward portion of said seat and on said support, said cooperating means including a guide extending rearwardly and upwardly from its lower end to its upper end and a pin disposed in said guide and movable therealong, said pin being disposed adjacent one end of said guide when said back-rest is in said upright sitting position, said pin translating toward the other end of said guide in response to said reclining movement of said back-rest about its pivot on said support to elevate said forward mi ieu of saidseat, said reclining movement of said backrest being simultaneously effective to cause said seat pivot on said back-rest to move through said rearward and downward arcQthe elevation of said forward portion of said seat and the movement of said seat pivot through said rearward and downward are causing a compound inclining movement of said seat to increase the angle between said seat and baclorest as'a function of said reclining movement. v

2. An improved chair comprising a support, a back-rest disposed in a substantially upright sitting position and pivoted on said support for reclining movement, a seat pivoted adjacent its rearward end at a seat pivot to said back-rest and at a point spaced above the pivot of said back-rest on said support, said seat pivot being in a position to translate through a rearward and downward arc in response to said reclining movement to lower said rearward end'of said seat, slidably interengaged cooperating means on the forward portion of said seat and on said support, said cooperating means including a guide extending rearwardly and upwardly from its lower end to its upper end and a pin disposed in said guide and movable therealong, said pin being disposed adjacent one end of said guide when said back-rest is in said upright sitting position, said pin translating toward the other end of said guide in response to said reclining movement of said back-rest about its pivot on said support to elevate said forward portion of said seat, said reclining movement of said back-rest being simultaneously effective to cause said seat pivot on said back-rest to move through said rearward and downward arc, the elevation of said forward portion of said seat and the movementof said seat pivot through said rearward and downward are causing a compound inclining movement of said seat to increase the angle between said seat and back-rest as a function of said reclining movement, and means operatively connected to said support and eitective to urge said back-rest into said upright sitting position with said pin adjacent said one end of said guide.

3. An improved chair comprising a support, a back-rest disposed in a substantially upright sitting position and pivoted on said support for reclining movement, a seat pivoted adjacent its rearward end at a seat pivot on said back-rest and at a point spaced from the pivot of said back-rest on said support, said seat pivot being in a position to translate through a rearward and downward arc in response to said reclining movement to lower said rearward end of said seat, slidably interengaged cooperating means on the forward portion of said seat and on said support, said cooperating means including a guide extending rearwardly and upwardly from its lower end to its upper end and a pin disposed in said guide and movable therealong, said pin being disposed adjacent one end of said guide when said back-rest is in said upright sitting position, said pin translating toward the other end of said guide in response to said reclining movement of said back-rest about its pivot on said support to elevate said forward portion of said seat, said reclining movement of said back-rest being simultaneously effective to cause said seat pivot on said back-rest, to move through said rearward and downward arc to lower said rearward end of said seat, the elevation of said forward portion of said seat and the movement of said seat pivot through said rearward and downward are causing a compound inclining movement of said seat to increase the angle between said seat and back-rest as a function of said reclining movement, a spring operatively connected to said seat and said support and etfective to urge said back-rest into said upright sitting position with said pin adjacent said one end of said guide.

4. An improved chair comprising a support, a back-rest disposed in a substantially upright sitting position and pivoted on said support for reclining movement, a seat pivoted adjacent its rearward end at a seat pivot on said back-rest and at a point spaced from the pivot of said back-rest on said support, said seat pivot being in a position to translate through a rearward and downward arc in response to said reclining movement to lower said rearward end of said seat, slidably interengaged cooperating means on the forward portion of said seat and on said support, said cooperating means including a guide extending rearwardly and upwardlyfrom its lower end to its upper end and a pin disposed in said guide and movable therealong, said pin being disposed adjacent one end of said guide when said back-rest is in said upright sitting position, said pin translating toward the other end of said guide in response to said reclining movement of said backrest about its pivot on said support to elevate said forward portion of said seat, said reclining movement of said back-rest being simultaneously efiective to cause said seat pivot on said back-rest to move through said rearward and downward are to lower said rearward end of said seat, the elevation of said forward portion of said seat and the movement of said seat pivot through said rearward and downward are causing a compound inclining movement of said seat to increase the angle between said seat and back-rest as a function of said reclining movement, and 15 means operatively connected to said support and effective to urge said back-rest into said upright sitting position with said pin adjacent said other end of said guide, said last-named means including a leg-rest disposed beneath 6 the forward portion of said seat, and link means operatively connected to said leg-rest and to said seat and backrest whereby said leg-rest serves in part as a counterbalance to maintain said back-rest in said upright sitting position until positively urged by the chair occupant into a reclining position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 174,588 Stein Mar. 7, 1876 967,665 Piche Aug. 16, 1910 1,608,064 Henry Nov. 23, 1926 2,433,521 Lorenz Dec. 30, 1947 2,564,083 Stechert Aug. 14, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,310 Great Britain 1915 820,791 France Aug. 9, 1937 637,068 Great Britain May 10, 1950 

